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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · squash · ground · cap · mug · board · foot · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ground — the earth
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. board — to get on
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mug — a face
  9. board — a committee
  10. cap — of ice
  11. spring — a coil
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spring — of water
  15. ground — a position
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cap — a hat
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mug — a cup
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. foot — a measure

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com